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Beowulf and the Teaching of Leadership

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Beowulf and the Teaching of Leadership Journal of Leadership Education Volume 9, Issue 1 – Winter 2010 Beowulf and the Teaching of Leadership Tom Loughman, Ph.D. D. Abbott Turner College of Business Columbus State University Columbus, GA 31907-5645 [email protected] John Finley, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Business Administration D. Abbott Turner College of Business Columbus State University Columbus, GA 31907-5645 [email protected] Abstract Although it depicts a Germanic warrior culture of nearly 1,500 years ago, the Old English epic poem Beowulf contains timely insights into leadership and motivation, trust, respect, loyalty, and sacrifice that could inform current leadership practice and teaching. To help reveal some of these insights, this study has three main purposes: (a) examine the character of Beowulf as a leader of his warrior band and nation; (b) explain the ways in which the hero Beowulf fits into the Conger-Kanungo model of charismatic leadership; and, (c) explore how the epic poem dramatizes risks of an overreliance upon a charismatic leader. The results of this investigation attempt to provide meaningful insights for practitioners of management, researchers, and instructors of leadership with a special emphasis on the pedagogical value of artifacts of popular culture. Introduction Presently we are at the confluence of major cultural currents that bring the elements of the Beowulf story to the forefront of popular appeal. At the very least, Beowulf has three superb monsters, and monsters are everywhere in movies, television, books, plays, operas, software programs, online gaming communities, paperback novels, and comic books. Around every corner appear vampires, zombies, mutants, werewolves, ghouls, devils, King Kong, Godzilla, dragons, and dinosaurs. They creep up from the ground, plummet from the sky, emerge from the seas, and materialize from thin air. 155 Journal of Leadership Education Volume 9, Issue 1 – Winter 2010 Another major current involves the large number of popular accounts of legendary and mythical heroes, many of whom display their heroism in struggles with monsters. A few recent examples include films such as The Lord of the Rings , The Chronicles of Narnia , and the Harry Potter films, all of which are populated with wizards, trolls, elves, and assorted monsters. The popularity of the Beowulf story in particular is evident in light of its numerous translations, editions, audio renditions, and films over the past several decades. While perhaps not great in themselves, several very recent films have brought the story and character of Beowulf into full view. In addition, as part of the canon of western literature, Beowulf is listed as number 12 on the 2005 list of the top 1000 works by the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), a consortium of more than 60,000 libraries worldwide. The Beowulf narrative obviously has staying power. Turning to the scholarly efforts devoted to the epic poem, numerous research articles cover nearly every aspect of the poem’s word choice, origin, thematic elements, history, literature parallels, weaponry, versification, and religious influences. And while some research has explored the hero Beowulf as a character, there is little about Beowulf as a leader. Partly to fill that gap in our knowledge of this important work and to further an understanding of leadership in general, the authors (a) review the historical and cultural indicators of the period as they relate to leadership in the poem; (b) recap the three major episodes of the poem; (c) summarize the Conger-Kanungo model of charismatic leadership; (d) examine the character of Beowulf for elements of charismatic leadership; and, (e) explore the risks to organizations of an overreliance upon charismatic leaders. The authors conclude by placing the story of Beowulf’s exploits within a larger discussion of teaching leadership through artifacts of the popular culture. Historical and Cultural Background Although the heroic epic Beowulf was composed in Old English, it deals not with native Englishmen for whom the poem was written but with their Germanic ancestors of around the sixth century. During that earlier period patches of tribal and sub-tribal leadership were beginning to reveal what would eventually become nation states. A major relationship bond in that period involved what Schlesinger terms gefolgschaft (comitatus in Latin) which refers to “a relationship which is entered voluntarily based on loyalty and which obliges the man to counsel and military aid, the lord to protection and generosity” (Schlesinger, 1953). The gefolgschaft or comitatus bond itself superseded, according to Bazelmans (1999), a prior organizational structure based on the concept of kleinstamme , which entailed group membership based more on kinship or within ethnic groups 156 Journal of Leadership Education Volume 9, Issue 1 – Winter 2010 (Bazelmans, p. 5). The comitatus relationship was based primarily upon “mutual trust and respect” (Bazelmans, p. 15). The thane vowed loyalty to the lord and in turn received affectionate care as well as material rewards for his valor and allegiance. Good kings would be referred to by kennings (poetic epithets) such as “dispenser of treasure” or “ring-giver,” while bad kings who were not generous tended to lose thanes as well as the respect and military might the thanes brought with them. To the warriors in numerous small roving groups, in ways similar to those of the Vikings in the ninth and tenth centuries, treasure represented not only material wealth but also a validation of one’s worth and honor in the warrior society. It also symbolized the successful bond among the warriors in the band and between the thane and the lord. The warrior bands had to be highly adaptive units whose members were ready to pick up at a moment’s notice, alter course as sea winds changed, and opportunistically choose proper targets. Organizational membership involved sharing the band’s values, norms, and standards of behavior. Commitment to the groups’ cultural values and organizational goals was fostered through clan control, and members were acutely and intimately aware at all times how variable commitment to goals would result in equally variable success rates. In brief, feedback was swift, and a warrior band consisting of cowardly warriors would not long endure. Dissolution of an unsuccessful group often meant very unpleasant outcomes for the individual members. Thus, from an organizational perspective, given the obvious high risk involved in their enterprises, the warriors came to depend upon the others in the group for their lives, livelihood, and sense of honor. Cunning, strength, and courage were obviously prized in the warrior, and especially in a leader who maximized these warrior traits and upon whom the band depended. As the following synopsis of the three episodes of the Beowulf poem reveals, Beowulf epitomized these traits and for a long while successfully led his people against all foes. Synopsis of Beowulf In episode 1, a band of 15 Geatish warriors led by Beowulf arrives at the homeland of the Danes to rid that country of Grendel, a seemingly invincible, man-eating monster possessing the strength of 30 men. In the mead hall of Heorot on the first night, after introductions, drinking, and boasting, the Danish King Hrothgar and his retainers go to their bedchambers while the visiting warriors bed down in the mead hall. As he had done many times before, Grendel breaks into the hall, creates a general panic, and greedily devours one of the warriors. Although Beowulf’s thanes attempt to subdue the monster, their efforts are 157 Journal of Leadership Education Volume 9, Issue 1 – Winter 2010 useless. Grendel then attempts to seize Beowulf’s arm, but the warrior instead grabs him, and in the ensuing struggle Beowulf wrenches Grendel’s arm off as the monster escapes. The following morning Grendel’s arm is prominently displayed to awestruck onlookers as a trophy on a wall in Heorot. Episode 2 treats the second night in Heorot during which there is great feasting and giving of gifts and praise to Beowulf and his companions. After the celebration, however, Grendel’s mother sneaks into the hall, grabs one of Hrothgar’s most worthy retainers, retrieves the arm of her son Grendel, and retreats to her foul den across the moors. The next morning, Beowulf, who had not slept at Heorot the previous night, vows to avenge the death. He and his retainers, as well as members of Hrothgar’s court, track Grendel’s mother to the foul mere containing her den. Beowulf descends alone into the mere and is attacked by Grendel’s mother, who drags him into her bone-strewn den and stabs at him repeatedly with a blade. Beowulf attempts to kill her with the sword Hrunting, but to no avail. Finally, Beowulf locates an ancient sword on the cave wall and kills Grendel’s mother with it. At the victory celebration that evening in Heorot, King Hrothgar gives fabulous gifts and praise to Beowulf and his companions. The third and final episode reveals Beowulf’s having ruled wisely and well for 50 years as king of the Geats. Unfortunately, because someone disturbs its treasure trove, an enraged dragon wreaks havoc on the countryside and even destroys Beowulf’s own dwelling place. Beowulf vows to slay the dragon. With several of his thanes he goes to draw it out and kill it. Although Beowulf wounds the dragon, he is himself mortally wounded. While all the other thanes run to the woods, Beowulf’s nephew Wiglaf remains and delivers the fatal wound to the dragon. Wiglaf then foresees much trouble for the Geats because their great hero is dead and most of the Geatish warriors who still live are cowards. A funeral pyre is built, and as Beowulf and the dragon’s treasure are consumed by the flames, an old woman bewails their loss and looks gloomily into the future, for surely, now the Geatish people will suffer invasion, enslavement, debasement, and death.
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